I. Identifications. Write a brief factual paragraph about 5 of the following. The important questions to answer are: who or what? when? (don't forget the date) where? why? how? and so what? (i.e., describe important action(s), principle(s) or result(s) for each answer). SOME GOOD ADVICE: Please be very careful choosing items to answer; you will receive ZERO CREDIT even if you write an answer, correct in itself, about a person or thing not on this list. [Beware especially of similar names (e.g. Thucydides the politician and Thucydides the historian) and of confusing the first and second Peloponnesian wars.] A minimal identification without details and discussion will receive very few points. [Items covered may be persons, places, events, or terms (emphasis on the first three; an example of the fourth would be Krypteia)]
Here is one example: Demosthenes (fifth century).
Inadequate answer (zero credit): important person in Greek history.
Barely adequate answer: Athenian general.
Marginally more adequate: Athenian general active in the Peloponnesian
war.
Better: Athenian general during Peloponnesian war, responsible for
Athenian capture of Pylos in first part of war, later involved in defeat
in Sicily and died there.
Best of all: add details about why the capture of Pylos was a turning
point in the war (because the Spartans were willing to make peace to get
it back, especially since Demosthenes [and Cleon] also captured a number
of Spartans at the same time) and explain that the Athenian disaster in
Sicily came about against Demosthenes' express advice and wishes. Add
dates!
II. Gobbets. Choose 5 passages and place them in their historical context: describe, with appropriate factual detail, the specific circumstance, problem, and/or person(s) involved, date, and what is especially important or interesting therein.Tabular or list form may be used where appropriate. Reformulation of the information in the passage does not constitute an adequate answer.
Examples: see information about test 1.
III. [No extra credit but giving an answer is a good idea.] What topic do you intend to focus on for your research project?